Folding car-step.



s. K. GERHARDTH FOLDING OAR STEP. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 2'7, 1910.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. K. GERHARDT.

FOLDING GAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2'7, 1910.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

mm mm 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a F M d \n \w w M n 6 V V 6 m K .Lil n s lulli fittest any invention. Fig. II

SMITH K. GERHARDT,

or EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING (BAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Application filed May 27, 1910. Serial No. 563,691.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Snrrn a citizen of the United States of America,

residing in East St. Louis, county of St.

Clair, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Folding CarSteps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying draw-' ings, forming part of this description.

My invention relates to a folding car step for railway cars, and has for its object the production of an auxiliary step of this character controlled by strong and positive operating devices which very firmly hold the step in its folded and unfolded positions.

Another. object is to produce a folding step adapted to be controlled and'opera-ted by a trap door which normally closes the upper end of the stepway in Figure I is a perspective View illustrating is a perspective view of a portion of a hinge which connects the folding step sections. Fig. III is a detail perspective view of the means for connect- 'ing the trap door to the step cont-rolling 1g. IV is a side elevation of.

mechanism. the parts shown in Fig. I. Fig. V is a side elevation illustrating a modification. Fig. VI is a horizontal holding the mechanism shown in F V in either of its two positions.

In the accompanying drawings: A designates a car platform provided with a well known type of trap door 13 adapted to cover the stepway leading from said platform.

5 is a latch pivoted to the end wall of the car for the purpose of locking the trap door B in its open position. When closed, the door may be locked by a catch (3 having a bolt- 7 adapted to engage a plate 8 on the top face of the door. a

C designates a folding step composed of sections 1 and 2 connected together by a hinge 3, the section 2 being hinged to the lower step of the stepcasc at t.

The means for causing the trap door B and the folding step to operate in.unison comprises an arm 9 secured to a rock shaft 10 rotatably sn 'iported in the top riser of the stepcase, the arm 9 having projections 11 at its upper end which slidein a guide 12 secured to the under side of the trap door that causes the arm 9 to move in an arc of a circle and rotate said rock shaft. Opening K. Gnninuinr,

15, said rod having the rod 14 passes. 'closed, the shaft 10 and a car platform. I

section of the latch for and closing the trap door will, obviously,

causethe upper end of the arm 9 to slide in the guide 12 and thus rock the shaft l0. A short lever arm 13 secured to the shaft 10 is pivoted to a rod 1 surrouinlcd by a spring a head 16 engaging one The other end of the a spring seat on a bracket stepcase' and through which While the door is being lever arm 13 are rocked so as to pull the rod Li. and place the spring under compression. As this spring is com )IGSSOd when the door is closed, it will cause theshaft 10 to rock elevate the door to a certain extent whenever the door is released by the operation of the latch (5. The object of this door elevating device is to impart initial niovcment to end of the spring. spring 15 engages 1r secured to the the door and mechanism connected thereto,

and thus relieve the operator of the labor of starting these moveinent-s while the door is in a lowered position and lies flush with the floor.

A rock shaft 18 extending across the under side of the stepcase has vsecured to it, atone of its ends, a lever arm 19 connected toa lever arm 20 on the end of the rock shaft 10 by a link 21. A pair of lever arais 22 can ried by the rock shaft 18 ar connected to the. outer edge of the folding step 1 by chains, or other flexible members, through housings the main stepcase. connected to the folding step 1 by a lever arm seemed to said shaft and having its lower end pivoted to a link 20, the latter be. ing pivotally connected to a bar 27 extending rearwardly from the folding step 1.

Assuming that the trap door I5 is open, as shown in Fig. I, the folding step is then unfolded to form a continuation of the main stepcase and upon the closing of the trap door, the parts operate as follows: The upper end of the lever arm 5) will move downwardly due to connection with the trap door and rotate the rock shaft O, with the result of causing the lever arm 20, link 21 and the lever arm 19 to move upwardly. This action imparts rotation to the rock shaft 18 and causes the lever arms 2 and 25 to move rearwardly to the position shown in full lines in Fig. IV. As the lever arms 2imove rearwardly, the chains 23 are pulled to fold 23 passing 2+ on the bottom itep of the step sections 1 and 2. and at the/same slightly and thus The rock shaft 18 is also I seas i time, the lever arm is moved to pull these sections rearwardly and upwardly under the bottom step of the stepcase.

it will now be readily understood that the step to move automatically to its folded i position due l. The combination with a stepcase of a device controlled 1) Y said trao door b which.

opening the door will move the lever arms folding step at the foot of said stepcase, a 291 and 25 t0 the POSltlOD shown by dotted rock haft rotatably supported by aid stepllDQS in Fig. IV, and (lllililg tlllsiTlOVBlIlQIlt, case means for perating said 1-051; haft, the chains 23 will be released to allO the means carried by said rock shaft having confolding step to unfold while the lever arm nection with said folding step for exerting atllIOUgh the medium Of link 26 and the rem? pull thereon when the step is 1:0 be bar 2?, pushes the step sections downwardly frlded and for supporting the step when it and outwardly. unfolded, and means carried bv said rock When the folding stop is in service, the shaft and connected to said step whereby chsins prevent the lower section 1 from rearward movement of the step is prevented moving down and it is prevented from movwhile it is unfolded. illg inwardly by fil'ie iininovably held parts 2, The combination with 3, gtgpgg sg Of a connected to the bar 2?, these parts being f ldi g te t th f t. f s id step ase, connected. to the door B which is then locked l comprising a pair of ctions hinged tr; each in po o by $118 lfitCh SllOWll in F gother,-and one of which is hinged to said Another means for holding thestep secstepcase, a rock shaft rotatably supported tion 1 in its proper position, when unfolded by said step case, a pair of lever arms carthe hinge 3, said hinge being composed of ried by said rock shaft, flexible connections two sections, one of which has a lug 28 between said lever arms and the lowermost Fig. 11} adapted to engage an abutment 2 of said step sections, and a third lever arm on the other hinge section when the step is carried by said rock shaft and having link unfolded. connection with said lower step section.

in the modified construction shown in 3. The combination with a stepcase of, a

Figs. V and VI, the mechanism for controlfolding step at the foot of said stepcase, ling the folding step is not operated by a comprising a pair of sections hinged to each door, the operating means therefor being other, one of which is hin ed to said stepadapted for use on cars not provided with a case, a roar; shaft rotatabiy supported by trap door covering the step. The lever arms said step case, a pair of lever arms carried 22 and 25 carried by the rock shaft 18" by said rock shaft, flexible connections beshown in Fig. V) may be connected to the tweensaid lever arms and the lowermost of folding step'in the same manner as the arms said step sections, a third lever arm carried and 25. The lever arm 19 for rocking by said rock shaft and having link connecthe shaft 18 and thus operating the foldtion with the lowermost step section, and a ing step, is normally held in the position spring device for operating said rock shaft. shown by a spring 30. This spring 30 lies a. The combination with a stepcase of a between a stationary spring seat 31 and a folding step at the foot of said stepcase, 1 movable spring seat 32 on the end of a rod comprising a pair of sections hinged to each 33, the latter being pivoted to the lever arm other, one of which is hinged to said step- 19. 34: is a push rod pivotally connected to case, a rock shaft rotatably supported by the lever arm 19" and having a projecting said stepcase, a pair of lever arms carrie foot piece 84: at its upper one. The push by said rock shaft, flexible connections bered fi l passes through a slot 36 in the end tween said lever arms and the lowermost of wall of the car and. is adapted to be engaged said step sections, a third lever arm carried by the foot of the operator to move the lever by said rock shaft and having link connecu m 19'. When the push rod 34 is elevated, lions with the lowermost step section, and a it i locked in position by a spring pressed spring device whereby said rock shaft is locking bolt 35, mounted in a housing 36 and operated to move said folding step to an unhaving rack teeth 37 (see Fig. VI.) which foldod'position.

mesh with a sector 38 secured to a shaft The combination with a stepcase of a 39. Before depressing the push rod 34, the folding step at the foot of said stepcase, operator must rock the shaft 39 to operate comprising a pair of sections hinged to each the sector and thereby withdraw the loclo other, one of which is hingcd'to said steping bolt from the "aperture a0 in the lockcase, a rock shaftrotatably supported by bolt. After the push rod has been desaid s'tcpcase, a pair of lever arms carried pressed to unfold tlie stop, the spring pressed l by said rock shaft, flexible connections belocning bolt moves into an aperture 4-l tween said lever arms and the lowermost of in said rod Fig. V) and thus locks all said step sections, a third lever arm carriez l of the parts in position until the bolt is l by said rock shaft and having link connecagain withdrawn by the operation of the lion with the lowermost step section, a trap secto 38. This latter ope ation will c use (lOOy all the top of said stepcasc, and a spr ng 1W said r k shaft said folding step toward an tion.

6. The combinati folding step attth comprising a pair of sections other,

said by $31 tween said step one of which is hin d rock shaft, fiexibl said lever arms and may be actuated to move unfolded posion with a stepcase of a e foot of said stepcase, hinged to each ed to said stepy supported by ver arms carried e connections bethe lowermost'of sections, a third lever arm carried by said rock shaftand having link connec tion with the lowermost st door at the top of said s device means and said spring device whe device trap door and move said fol for actuating said of connection between ep tepcase a spring rock shaft, and

section, a trap said trap door reby said spring is permitted to partially open said an -unfoldcd position.

O7 The combination with a foldingstep at the foot of compi sing a pair of sections ding step toward stepcase of a said stepcase, hinged to each said spring whereby other, one of which is hinged to said stepcase, a rock shaft rotatably supported. by said stepcase, a pair of lever arms carried by said rock shaft, flexible connections between said lever arms and the lowermost of said step sections, a third lever arm carried by said rock shaft and having link connec tion with the lowermost step section, atrap door at the top ofsaid stepcase, a second rock .shaft supported .by said stepcase, an arm carried by said second rock shaft and having engagement with said trap door, a. spring for actuating said second rock shaft to partially open said trap door, and lever connection between said second rock shaft and said first named rock shaft actuated by said first named rock shaft is operated to' move said folding step toward an unfolded position.

SMITH K. GERHARDT. i In the presence of-' E. B. LINN, A, J. MCCAULEY. 

